


Out of Season

by VenusUnchained



Series: Strawberries [2]
Category: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (Anime & Manga), Code Name: Sailor V
Genre: Awkward Conversations, Comfort, Conversations, Mina being Mina, Misunderstandings, Morning After, Morning Sex, Pining, Smut, Strawberries, Touching
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-19
Updated: 2020-01-19
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:08:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,416
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22314568
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VenusUnchained/pseuds/VenusUnchained
Summary: The morning after can be awkward- but what happens when you wake up knowing the stranger you slept with better than you thought you would?
Relationships: Aino Minako/Kunzite
Series: Strawberries [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1606171
Comments: 4
Kudos: 38





	Out of Season

**Author's Note:**

> YUP- I turned Strawberries into a series thanks to a commission I received to elaborate more on the story, something I selfishly wanted to do anyway, so HERE WE GO! For better, or worse, hopefully you enjoy more strawberries!
> 
> *There are direct quotes from "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu - clearly I did not write that XD

A sleepy smile tugged at the corners of her lips, feeling the pads of warm fingertips softly tracing the curve of her hip beneath the soft cotton of the t-shirt she’d borrowed. Mina didn’t need to open her eyes to know the source of the touch, it sent butterflies fluttering through her stomach and caused her mind to race with the memories of a very hot, very unexpected blind date. 

She did briefly wonder if the morning would be awkward. If the charms of strawberries and champagne were limited to toe-curling sex, promises of pancakes and mundane conversation that ended up lasting until the very wee hours of the morning. Even still, that was only a few hours ago and while it might have seemed that his talk of investments and financials had literally put her to sleep, she’d claim all day that it was the deep, very soothing sound of his very lightly accented voice, the feeling of his fingers softly tracing up and down her arm while they spoke. 

Mina didn’t remember falling asleep, and while she claimed these first date conversations were so boring and routine, she found herself completely captivated by Khai. True, she had to pry at him a little to get him to talk, and as he warned her, most of what she could pull out of him was about his job, but it was so worth every moment. He was one of those quiet, serious men who only spoke when he had something worthwhile or meaningful to say, but everything she learned as she drifted off to sleep nestled against his shoulder was pure and raw intimacy.

Aside from all of the boring occupational details and financial jargon, she learned that Khai was a soulful person with an eclectic taste in music, a health nut with a half decent upbringing, and a good education. He managed to make even the most mundane conversation about his lack of hobbies and how he enjoyed spicy food romantic with the softly lit backdrop of the city beyond the tall windows that nearly walled in the hotel room, stealing touches and whispered words where he could. They were little things that Mina could read the way he could read a financial spread, things she understood where pretty much everything else about Khai Zoltan was mysterious to her. His stoicism and his hesitation to speak were all so calculated, and in hindsight, even as a lover he was nothing if not meticulous. 

Mina learned a little about his family, what little he had left which consisted of his sweet and doting mother and step-father who he didn’t care for much, but his real father had died when he was young and left him with a financial empire to run. She gathered he hadn’t had much of a choice, but Khai mentioned a few friends he met during his time at Harvard University that had made the decision to move to Tokyo easier; despite the huge, but very busted business deal that fell through that very night. 

Apparently, he’d been waiting for the appointment, and they didn’t show, so Khai claimed that it wasn’t a complete loss when she barged over to his table and invited herself to dinner. But even the way he talked about his family and friends was vague and nearly clinical, unlike anything she’d experienced with him personally but he seemed to be content to keep her at arm's length when it came to his personal life. Fair, since this wasn’t anything official, but their chemistry was undeniable in her book, ignited with that first meeting of eyes back at the restaurant, turning to full-on combustion rapidly over just a few hours. 

“Morning.” He whispered huskily, answering it all for her, making the previous night real as the mattress shifted when he moved closer. His hand rested on her bare hip squeezing the flesh lightly and Mina felt the warmth of his strong chest against her back. Finally, her eyes opened very briefly to a still darkened room, the roughness of his voice thick with a lack of sleep. “I didn’t think rambling about my job would actually put you to sleep.” 

Her eyes closed again and she smiled, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth before she pouted, and playfully turned to peek at him over her shoulder. “While your accomplishments in America and Dubai are impressive, I think I’ll stick to dreams of touring those places and leave the financial well-being part to you. You know, for being a stiff suit, you’re brave for waking me up so early.” 

Her heart might have skipped when she met his pale grey eyes, his long hair messy in shades of silver draped and fell with beautiful contrast over his tanned skin and white pillows. His lips quirked as though he could see right through her, wrapping his strong arms around her midsection to pull her tight against his chest. “A risk I’m willing to take. I figured you might forgive me since if I remember correctly, I owe you pancakes.” 

“Mmm, yes. And more boredom please.” Mina turned to face him better, having the nerve to look coy when she ran her hands along the smooth muscle of his chest. “I promise I won’t fall asleep this time, but I think you told me the really boring stuff on purpose so I wouldn’t go.” She ran a finger down the proud bridge of his nose, his soft lips, and the slight jut of his chin. “Not that I could escape if I wanted to with all of that glass we broke.”

“Guilty.” He grinned and brushed some of her own messy hair from her face, trailing his fingers along her jawline so his eyes and his thumb could trace her pouty bottom lip. “Or I would be, except I cleaned the glass by the door last night. I think you just didn’t want to leave.” 

“Innocent until proven guilty.” Mina kissed the pad of his thumb, causing his eyes to flicker back up into hers with that same very memorable heat. He chuckled at this and pulled her closer, large hands slipping beneath her borrowed shirt to do so with an only moderately respectful touch. 

“I only need one night to know that you are hardly innocent.” 

“Fine, guilty..” She breathed, unconcerned with morning breath or much more than his lips and explorative hands as he drew nearer with a smirk she could only describe as deviant. Mina turned her head to the side, avoiding his kiss with a playful giggle that turned into an ardent moan when he began to trail kisses intended for her lips down her neck. “Khai…” 

“Tell me about yourself.” He paused to whisper into her ear, causing the lightest of gasps to escape her when he nipped the lobe between his teeth. “I want to know every mundane detail.” 

“Mmm, you’re making it very hard for me to focus.” Mina tilted her head further and found her fingers tangled in his hair, only encouraging his distracting behavior when he sucked lightly at her pulse, humming at her approving gasp. Khai paused only long enough to kiss her, his forehead met hers and he peered down at her with something mischievous playing with his otherwise serious expression.

“I’ll try and make it easier then. You said last night that your birthday is next week. What day?” 

She blinked, forgetting she’d mentioned anything, and gazed up at him in shock that he’d remember such a small thing. He pulled the blankets over them, and Mina found herself pressed flush against his chest and wrapped in his arms under the plush down comforter. She traced the rough line of his jaw and his lips with the pads of her fingertips, gazing into his eyes. “The twenty-second. I want to plan something special since I also just so happen to be turning twenty-two.” 

Khai was older, not offensively so by her standards, but he eluded the previous night that his family, as well as a few people in the press often made comments about his George Clooney-Esque bachelor lifestyle. It was no shock to Mina that a gorgeous man like this would leave a path of heartbroken women wherever he went, hoping she wouldn’t fall prey to such a fate. Not that she was a saint herself, but the way they lay there, his fingers so methodically trailing up and down her spine while they spoke so intimately made it hard for a girl like her to keep her feelings in check. Something he made harder when he smiled the way he did. 

“Anything specific in mind?” Khai thought he was slick, pulling the dark fabric of the shirt she wore up higher on her torso until she decided to play his little game of seduction and shifted to pull it over her head, tossing it to the floor where the rest of their garments from the previous night lay strewn in various unknown places. Mina laughed triumphantly in her throat some at the hunger in his pale grey eyes as they drank her in, his pupils expanding in the dim light. 

“No idea yet. Why? Plan on crashing?” 

Khai’s lips quirked as she nestled back into his embrace, wrapping her arms around his waist and enjoying the feeling of his skin against her own, breasts pressing firmly into his chest. “Wouldn’t bother you to have an old man at your birthday celebration? I’ll tell you I’m not a big attendee of many parties.” 

She gently raked her nails over the smooth firm skin, soothing lingering raised scratches on his back from the previous night with her fingertips while her admiring gaze roved over the carved features of his face, and fixed on the beautiful heather grey of his eyes to solidify her sincerity when she shook her head. “Not even a little.” 

Khai chuckled a little in his throat in turn, about as close to a real laugh as she’d heard from him so far. “Thirty isn’t old. But even you mentioned something last-” 

Mina interrupted him with her lips, relishing the vibration of his small hum against her teeth. She smiled into the kiss and parted, pressing her finger against Khai’s lips to hush him. His eyes stayed shut a moment before looking back at her. Briefly, she watched his brows tense and the way he looked at her like she was something precious stole her breath. “I told you, I don’t mind. You were honest about being a work-a-holic with high standards, you don’t owe me any explanations.” 

“I suppose I should be curious as to why you don’t have a boyfriend. You have to know how utterly charming you are.” 

She smiled and pulled him closer to savor the spice of his soap lingering on the skin of his neck, his hair soft against her cheek when she kissed his bobbing Adam’s apple. “A girl can’t be too careful when she’s playing for keeps, I’m looking for something real. Some guys aren’t into that, which is why I was so surprised when you asked me to stay. You didn’t seem like the type.” 

“It seemed right, there’s something about you...It’s refreshing.” He moved in to kiss her, forcing Mina on her back to nestle between her legs, tongue brushing her lips when he spoke against them, “and as I said, I want to know everything.”

“Well,” She began to slowly run her hands down the curve of his back, fingers slipping under the elastic of his sweatpants to cup and grip into the fleshy muscle of his buttcheeks, causing his hips to stutter forward into hers. Mina smirked into a searing kiss and urged his hips into hers with her fingers again, relishing his firm body, and the sharp inhale of breath through his parted lips. “I  _ hate  _ shiitake mushrooms…” 

“Go on..” He breathed, lips pressed against the corner of her lips and slowly trailing down her jaw toward her earlobe. “You said you wanted to tour America and Dubai… tour as what?” 

“I wanted to be an idol when I was younger.” She bit her lip at the feel of his teeth nicking the skin below her earlobe, fighting her natural instinct to moan. “I guess I still do.” 

His tongue grazed her thundering pulse, and this time it tore the sound from her throat. Mina sank her head back further against the pillows, arching her neck to allow him better access, sifting her fingers into the hair at the nape of his neck to further encourage him.

“More.” He demanded, setting goosebumps over every inch of her flesh, sucking her rampant heartbeat into his mouth until she was certain he’d mark her.

“I- I’m part of a volleyball league, and I take dance as a hobby.” Mina’s eyes widened when he had the grace to look up and smirk, filling his hand with her breast just to toy with the pebbled pink tip.

“That explains a few things.” 

“I haven’t shown you anything yet.” She promised, watching his eyes darken at least two shades of gunmetal. She whimpered when his hot tongue ran circles around her nipple, devouring the delicacy of her breast. Mina couldn’t breathe, and he growled low in his throat when her fingers tightened in his hair and she pulled his lips back to hers for a reprieve of his sinful mouth before she could manage to speak again. “You always wake up this early?”

“This is normally the only time I have to myself.” Khai breathed harshly through his lips when Mina pressed herself against his hardening cock through his sweatpants, biting her bottom lip between her teeth from the sensation of his flesh so hard but soft between them. “More boring stuff though, I usually get coffee, keep up on financial news, work out, occasionally read..” 

“Sorry to distract you from your routine.” She smirked and playfully lapped her tongue over his lips, placing a light kiss at the tip of his nose.

“I think I much prefer this sort of distraction.”

Mina locked her eyes with his, slipping her fingers into the elastic of his sweatpants to slip them down off of his hips. His cock, hard and full, fell against her stomach and she smirked up at him as she rolled her hips against the rigid length to pull that sexy low growl from his throat. “I think I can do better.” 

“It seems so.” She flexed her hips up into his, her breath panting against his chin when her already slick flesh met the heavy girth of him. Mina would claim that it was his fault, from the moment he touched her that morning, the way his voice was graveled from lack of sleep, and he held her in his arms, she wanted him. How his hair felt like silk in her fingers and his lips moved across her skin, all she could think about was how ravenous she’d made him the previous night.

Shifting his hips, Khai fisted the sheets and pressed himself inside of her, not slowly, but carefully, and her throaty moan echoed against the walls, drowning his growled curse with her ecstasy. Mina thought she might wake the neighboring room when she cried out with the first rough, deep thrust of his hips. She stifled the sound by running her tongue across his teeth, probing his parted lips to drink his pleading whimper. 

The sturdy hotel bed began to knock against the wall, no errand to their movements other than the end, a desperate and needy act that pulled such noise from her lips as he took an angle that rubbed his pubic bone firmly into her clit each time his cock ripped through her causing her walls to constrict and jump around him. She met his eyes, arching into his every movement that jerked her breasts against his chest, and dared him to go harder.

“God you feel so fucking good.” He growled against her neck, and she could feel his hand shaking as it gripped the sheets beside her. There was someone yelling in the room next to them, but he only thrust harder, and the bed only seemed to knock more forcefully into the wall. 

It wasn’t meant to last long, it wasn’t intimate or romantic and it ended as quickly as it began. Mina didn’t last long the way his body rubbed at her core, his thick length filling her and stroking her body like no one’s ever had. It came on like an eruption, legs trembling, body convulsing around his relentless cock, her vision fading as the pleasure shot through her limbs like wildfire. It might have been her mindless clawing at his back with her nails, or the incoherent cursing that spilled from her lips, her body massaging and throbbing around his length that sent him reeling. He growled loudly, and she could feel his hips stutter, and his cock throb as he spilled into her, overflowing her body with his warm release. 

Khai collapsed beside her, both sweat sheened and breathlessly left staring at the ceiling while their neighbors calmed their yelling and pounding against the shared wall. It was Mina to burst into a fit of giggles, rolling to bury her face into his chest to muffle the noise. “What’s so funny?” 

She peeked an amused blue eye up at him through her mussed bangs, pressing a kiss to his shoulder as she fell back against the pillows. “Nothing. I just didn’t take you for a man to get carried away with anything is all. Don’t worry, I’m definitely not complaining.” 

“That makes two of us.” He breathed hard through his lips, eyeing Mina when she yawned. “On both accounts.” Khai chuckled once in his throat, lips quirking in mild amusement. “I don’t think Hotel Century will ever let me book a room here again.” 

“Not if your neighbors have anything to say about it.” 

“Or housekeeping.” He raised a brow and shot her a teasing glare that made her roll her eyes. 

“So, as we were saying before I so rudely interrupted,” She shifted in an attempt to stay awake, resting her chin on his arm to peer up at Khai with a playful grin. “what do you read this early in the morning? My friend Ami says you can tell a lot about someone from their book collection.” 

“Mostly the newspaper.” The corner of his lips lifted when Mina eyed him warily, turning on her side to sift her fingers through his hair, loose against his chest. “Bookwise ‘The Art of War’ is my favorite.” 

“Never heard of it.” She admitted with a nonchalant shrug, hooking her leg over his hip to press more firmly against his skin. “Not that I’ve ever been much of a reader to begin with but I guess I’m intrigued… if it interests you.” 

“It’s helped me through a lot in my life. I’d say it’s a good way to get to know me better. In fact, it’s even relevant right now, with you and me.” The way he said it, boring his eyes into hers with such intimate proximity turned her insides to lava. Her blue eyes danced among his grey and with the lightest of touches she pressed against his shoulder and brushed some of his silvery strands from his tanned complexion to see his face better.

“Tell me.” 

_ “ _ _ Engage people with what they expect; it is what they are able to discern and confirms their projections. It settles them into predictable patterns of response, occupying their minds while you wait for the extraordinary moment — that which they cannot anticipate. _ _ “  _ Mina felt an imperceptible chill over her skin at his whispered words with breathed against her skin without the sensation of his lips touching her, his voice so deep, kissed by an exotic accent. “I’ll let you draw your own conclusions.” 

“Hmm… I suspect you were almost predictable up until the moment you followed me out of the restaurant. Everything after that was pretty obvious until you asked me to stay.” 

“I expected none of what happened.” Her eyes fluttered closed when his fingers brushed her cheek, tucking a bit of her hair behind her ear. It kept her a bit leery of him still, the way she’d see his eyes flicker over to the clock on the bed stand, a man to always be cognizant of his time and Mina had to wonder if a man like this ever truly had time for anyone. But he was also so attentive to her when those pale grey eyes flickered back to hers and fell pointedly on her lips. “I didn’t expect you. So it was a first for me too.” 

“Happy to oblige.” Mina shifted closer, doing him the favor of softly pressing her lips against his. It was odd to her that he was still so hesitant to do so since within hours of meeting they’d already engaged in the most intimate of activities with the most climactic end to a blind date she’d ever had. 

Khai watched her sit up, studying her with that cool demeanor of his that made her feel all the more naked under his watchful gaze. Truly she didn’t want to get up because the sheets were soft, she was exhausted, and his skin was so warm she could have stayed wrapped up in him all day. His fingers combed through her hair, brushing down her back with a light touch, grabbing her attention. 

There was a tension in his eyes, and Khai looked like he wanted to say something, but withdrew his hand from her back and sat up to lean against the headboard. “Sorry, I’m not good at this.” 

“I’d say you’re almost too good at this.” Mina returned with a sympathetic smile, taking a moment to appreciate how he looked like one of those perfume ad models with his chiseled facial features and carved body, scarcely covered by a thin sheet. His silver hair was mussed and against his darker skin and pale grey eyes that made his stoic demeanor appear so exotic, shrouded in the shadows of the early morning. It made the reality that this was a one-night thing so sad because there was a lot of history that happened between them in the expanse of mere hours. “I’m gonna go get cleaned up.” 

“Sure.” He smiled, and it was so beautiful to her the way the pink light of the sunrise highlighted his features. “I’ll grab a shower after, if you don’t mind waiting for me that is.” 

“Of course.” Mina stood, watching him avert his eyes and decided it was worth making a spectacle of herself to see this shyness in him in the aftermath that seemed so misplaced from his usual sturdy calm. Not that she wasn’t fully aware of his eyes shifting back to her, magnetically trailing her movements with blatant appreciation as she sauntered toward the bathroom, putting some extra sway into her hips while the product of their morning session trickled slowly down her thigh.

Refraining from inviting him to join her, Mina kept her shower brief since it was a Saturday and it was likely she’d collapse back in bed the moment she made it home with the intent to sleep through a good deal of the afternoon. She hadn’t checked her phone, though it was likely her friend from the agency was curious about the blind date. Or she was mad at her considering Mina ghosted the guy she set her up with. She nodded resolutely at her reflection while she scrubbed at her teeth with nothing but a bit of paste and her finger. Surely she could be forgiven when she explained that there was no way she could have passed this up, and as she wrapped herself in a towel and reentered the room, Mina realized she really didn’t care how angry her friend would be. 

Khai had pulled his sweatpants back on and continued tidying the room a little because there was still a little left of the dishevelment left from their destructive passion of the night before. She’d long convinced herself that men like this didn’t exist, long limbed, muscled, and though the vanity of her appraisal knew no bounds, once again she was convinced that his ethereal appearance was too good to be true. He paused, confirming this more as softness tugging at his lips and eyes in his slow approach from across the suite.

“I’ll be out in a minute.” He took her chin between his fingers and thumb, pressing a lingering kiss to her lips, gazing at her in a way that made her feel more exposed than she was. Mina offered an understanding smile, letting him brush passed her so he could take his turn in the shower. The sky was pink, the Sun barely peeking between the tall buildings of Tokyo’s skyline when she exhaled deeply and stepped toward one of the wall-length windows to observe the bustling streets below and how tiny they all looked.

Stepping back into her dress from the night before was almost strange, like stepping into an old life of being beautiful and jaded from a lot of bad dates, and a life without much of a path to it other than finding herself at the dinner table of some beautiful stranger. But she zipped up the back and caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. Hardly the glamorous woman she was the night prior, barefaced with wet hair and a hickey on her neck like she was still in high school. It made her laugh as she stepped into her heels and plopped unceremoniously on the bed. 

There was a very worn out book on the nightstand. The paperback cover had been ripped off entirely and the pages were yellowed and folded. Mina reached for it, and as expected the exposed title page read ‘The Art of War.’ She flipped through a few pages, finding nothing but what looked like proverbs and war tactics and she scrunched her face, not quite sure how something like this would allow her to get to know him better. Regardless she found herself reading a few pages, yawning, and wondering what the hell half of it meant. 

“You’re welcome to borrow that if you want.” Jumping, she set the book down on the mattress and turned to look at him over her shoulder. He’d already pulled on some business slacks and was rummaging through a hanging rack of collared shirts and various ties. 

Mina lifted the book, and her brows, and read a proverb from one of the pages in the most proper voice she could mock. “Thus the skillful general conducts his army as though he were leading a single man, willy-nilly, by the hand” 

This made Khai chuckle as he draped a matching navy blue suit jacket over the back of a chair in the sitting area, selecting a pressed white shirt to go with it. Mina noted how his hand hovered by an assortment of ties, opting hesitantly for a striped blue one. Placing the book back where she found it, she shifted to face him, finding watching him get dressed far more interesting. He eyed her knowingly while he buttoned up his shirt. “It’s literally nothing but advice and strategy for war, though you might be surprised. You might even enjoy it.” 

“Oh, that’s okay. Like I said, I’m not much of a reader.” For some reason she wanted to borrow it, but something prevented her from agreeing so she merely folded her hands in her lap nervously and forced a teasing smile. “We’re just going for pancakes. It’s Saturday, don’t you own any jeans?” 

“Workaholic.” He reminded her while he dressed distractedly. “I’ll probably catch the train over to the office for a bit this morning.” 

“I see.” Her fingers tensed on themselves, sensing this was unraveling when Khai was suddenly beside her, lifting her chin to make her look at him. His grey eyes were warm, and while he was immaculately dressed and gorgeous, his hair was tousled and still wet. 

“I promised you pancakes, and strawberries…”    
  


“And chocolate sauce with whipped cream.” She quipped, unable to keep the smile from her face when he nodded toward the door. 

“I don’t know where you put all that and I don’t care. A promise is a promise.” 

* * *

“You can’t be serious.” She judged. She judged hard at his cheeseless veggie egg white omelet and avocado from over her mountain of mouthwatering goodness. 

“I’m very serious.” 

“All the time. Yes, we established this.” She raised her brow and wagged a dripping, chocolately, syrupy bite of strawberry and pancake at him before popping it into her mouth with as much grace as she could muster while she continued to berate him over a full mouth. “Probably low blood sugar.” 

“That’s going to kill you someday.” He judged her right back with his flat tone and dry expression, but Mina shoved a bite toward him in offering. 

“Just try one bite. For me?” She fluttered her lashes at him and pouted her lip, watching the amusement flicker across his features while he mocked her by taking a bite of tomato and egg. “I did promise you more boring talk.” 

Khai rolled his eyes and leaned forward for the sugary bite, immediately reaching for some water while he chewed. “That is death by sugar…” 

“There are strawberries in it, it can’t be all bad…” She pouted and forked a chocolate-covered berry into her mouth to prove her point. He smiled, and Mina decided it was worth it the way the morning light hit his eyes and his cheek dimpled from the motion. 

“Okay, so I know you hate shiitake mushrooms, you’re a secretary at a fashion studio, and you do some social media modeling on the side, you have a group of friends scary enough to tear down the Yakuza, and you came from London. I know we avoided the subject of parents while we…” 

“Parent talk is definitely a mood ruiner during sex.” Khai shot her a scandaled look but Mina only shrugged. “Okay, so it’s just a mood ruiner. What? Don’t look at me like that.” 

“Tell me about London.” His grey eyes became scolding, and he rolled them once, freezing her in place when his hand fell across the table to rest on top of hers. “I talked you to sleep last night. It’s your turn.” 

“Yeah, and you’ve barely said a word since we left.” Khai swallowed and withdrew his hand to take a drink of his coffee. 

“I’m not much of a talker.” Mina’s disbelieving look caused him to pause before he brought the cup to his lips. He’d spoken plenty the previous night, but not without her prodding him. “Normally.” 

“Fine then.” She huffed playfully and took an overly dramatic bite of her pancakes, pleased when it seemed to ease the tension on his brow, and his lips just barely quirked in amusement of her antics which he strategically hid behind another drink of his bitter black coffee. 

“Mom’s a native London gal, a real looker of course, and also the world’s most stereotypical tragedy. Met a hot guy in Greece, got pregnant, got married, and settled down with a family instead of pursuing her dreams.” She trailed off, shoving an extra chocolately sweet bite to wash down the bitterness that came with talking about her mother. 

“Sounds like a movie.” 

“Yeah, she wishes. It’s no wonder I always wanted to be an idol. She started putting me through pageants and competitions since I was in diapers. You know, I was in a few really cringy commercials when I was a kid.” 

“Oh really.” 

Mina hummed her confirmation over a full mouth, nodding and gesturing all the while. “Remind me later and I’ll show you some of them on YouTube.” Meanwhile, Khai calmly sipped his coffee and watched her in a manner reminiscent of the night before without the dim lighting and elegant decor to provide the air of romance. Not that the little diner was romantic by any means. “Yes, my mother so selfishly stole my opportunity for a publicized scandal by putting me in a diaper commercial when I was a baby. The world saw my ass before it was worth seeing.” 

She thought he was going to spit out his coffee for a second before she realized he was actually laughing. They’d spent the entire night together and it was the first time she’d seen him smile wide with his teeth, the dimple in his cheek deeper with the expression that made his grey eyes sparkle. “I’d say she was just putting you ahead of the curve. Get the scandal out of your system while you’re young.” 

“Did you just tell a joke?!” 

“Maybe.” His lips tensed to wipe the smile from them, further reigning in his face with another sip of his coffee. “What about your father?” 

“This isn’t a therapy session.” 

“Correct. I am not a therapist.” He mused in that stoic way he had. She supposed it was his dry sense of humor that prevented her from finding it charming, but there was a reason she avoided these first date conversations that felt more like a mating ritual to ensure your breeding was up to snuff. She’d won the genetic lottery, of course. Her mother was a waifish blonde who gave Twiggy a run for her money back in the day and her father was some dark and mysterious Cassanova most women end up regretting spending more than just one night with. “I’m not trying to read you Mina, and I’m not here to judge. We can talk about something else.” 

Mina frowned and rolled her eyes when Khai raised his brows as a prompt to keep talking. She sighed and took a sip of her sugary vanilla iced coffee. He’d divulged plenty of his life the previous night, it was only fair. “Dad didn’t hang around. He moved out when I was ten and went back to Greece. Apparently, he was popular with the ladies whether he was married or not, and wasn’t a big fan of parading me around. A little hypocritical maybe, but we still talk occasionally.” She shrugged and fell back against the booth. “Little did he know that I’d end up loving it.”

“What do you love about it?” 

Smiling at the change in subject, she stared at her plate while she stabbed violently at her food. “What’s not to love? I get to be whoever I want to be, I get to create something. I mean, the attention is great and all but the energy, and the rush of it all!” She met his grey eyes with a relaxed smile. “I get to be anything I want.” 

“What’s wrong with just being you?” Khai posed, brow twitching with interest over a bite of his omelet. Clearly he wasn’t a man who had the spectacular imagination she did, of course, most people who work in finance just aren’t wired that way. Boring as it seemed she wasn’t surprised to find it refreshing. She spent her days among the eccentric and vain people in the creative realms of many professions and while she appreciated their unique and colorful candor it was sometimes a little overwhelming. Khai was steady, logical, grounded. 

Mina bit her lip and smiled, eyes sparkling with minute excitement as she leaned forward on the table. “Absolutely nothing.” 

“So how did you end up in Tokyo?” Her answer seemed to charm him, yet she couldn’t help but feel a little uneased when he checked his phone, brow tensing at whatever he was reading on the screen. 

“I um. I moved out the day after I turned eighteen. There was an acting gig here in Tokyo for the role of a pretty blonde superhero, like those magical girls in comic books.” Khai peered up from his phone at her like she was crazy, brow raised like he was waiting for her to elaborate. She rolled her eyes again, a little annoyed by his distraction while she confided how she’d found herself in Tokyo in pursuit of an acting career only to find herself a secretary at a modeling firm and barely functioning college student studying fashion design. “Anyways, clearly that didn’t work out and I’d spent most of my savings to move here so I ended up kind of stuck for a while.”

As it all poured out of her, it all sounded like the trials of a misguided and rebellious teenager, which was probably an accurate but tired trope that channels like Lifetime liked to overplay, including her rival-like relationship with her Mother. She was almost relieved that Khai didn’t appear to be listening, but he was looking at her intensely when she finally managed to look up from her plate, leaning in with his elbows on the table paying attention to her every word. He was so put together and calm, it was about that very moment she realized what a mess her life was. 

“That’s very brave of you. I guess that was when you ended up in a dorm with your friend. The one who somehow managed to fall out of her bed and break three bones?” 

Mina swallowed hard, surprised he remembered that story she told the previous night, let alone that he was listening at all. Usagi was a renowned clutz, the only person she knew who could find a way to be clumsy in her sleep and end up in the hospital. She did laugh in her throat at the memory and take a sip of her iced coffee, privately musing about how that was her introduction to Ami who was doing her residency at the hospital, and Makoto who brought Usagi baked goods to help her recover. “Yeah, that was my introduction to most of my insane, and wonderful, friends. Who, by the way, could still kick your ass. You said something similar happened to your best friend’s girlfriend back at Harvard right?” 

Khai chuckled and checked his phone again. “Yes. Apparently accidents like that are somewhat common? And I will do my best to watch my back, though as wonderful as your friends sound, if they came for me then it’s likely I would have done something to deserve it.” He charmingly smirked, winked, and took a long drink from a glass of ice water. “I’ll have to keep the mob on standby.” His eyes seemed to lighten with the quirk of his lips. “Tell me more.” 

With a deep breath, Mina began to ramble about how wasted she was in pursuit of a fashion degree because if she really wanted to do that then she would have stayed in London. Khai made it easy when he was focused, perhaps a little too much so because she began to talk about love, and the few brushes with the emotion she’s had in her short life like an idiot. It was in her rules of first dates to never talk about exes, or the big L word in general let alone get philosophical about it. Did it count if this was technically date number two? 

Halfway into her woeful tale of the only real boyfriend she’d ever had and his immense douchery, his phone buzzed on the table, and immediately his focus was broken. “Excuse me, I have to take this.” 

Mina deflated, watching him slide out of the booth across from her to take the call. It dawned on her how out of her element she was, how petty and immature she probably seemed to him after explaining the messy but colorful life of Aino Minako. She was out to breakfast with a gorgeous businessman in an immaculate suit before eight in the morning while she definitely looked like his catch of the night, rambling about love and life like she’d known the man forever when it hadn’t even been twenty-four hours. What else did she expect?

Her hair was still drying and she wore no makeup, not that she felt like she needed it, but it all felt out of place with her otherwise sexy date wear and heels not to mention the glaring hickey on her neck. A courtesy memento from Khai’s stupidly sexy, perfect, and sinfully skilled mouth. She inwardly groaned, and stabbed at a strawberry in irritation, noting that it had grown soggy. 

Only moments later, Khai stepped back beside the booth with an unreadable expression, not bothering to sit back down. Mina could take a hint. “Duty calls?” 

“I apologize, but I have to cut this short and head to the office. Can I get you a-” 

“I can manage.” She smiled half-heartedly, something akin to fear making itself known in her stomach when he pulled some bills from his wallet and left them on the table. Mina slipped from the booth herself, suddenly self-conscious about the wrinkled state of her dress and the tangles making themselves known in her long hair. Here she’d spent half the morning rambling about herself and dull details about her own life and Khai seemed like he was ready to run. 

She managed pleasantries to the waitress on the way out, following otherwise quietly behind him toward the now very busy, bright streets of Tokyo. Mina nearly ran straight into his back when he stopped abruptly just outside, and turned on his heel to face her with revelation in his eyes. “Listen, I-” 

“I had a great time Khai.” She beamed, tilting her head just slightly to peer into his irritatingly beautiful features. “Thank you for last night…” She had the nerve to flush, but certainly not the shame to look away, “And this morning. I-” 

Khai pulled her into a lingering kiss, the kind that knocked her straight off of her feet. It was far different this morning from the fevered tension of the night, it was sweet. His eyes stayed closed a moment before he could look at her, his forehead resting against hers, her cheek nestled into his palm. “I’d like to see you again.” 

“I don’t know buster, you’re one for two when it comes to dates.” Mina winked, wrapping her fingers around his wrist as his thumb stroked her cheek. She hoped he couldn’t see how her fingers trembled, how off guard she was from his sudden intensity, and how hopeful she was that he was telling her the truth. The prospect of seeing him again sent the butterflies already rampant in her stomach into a frenzy. “I hope I didn’t bore you too much.” 

Khai smailed again, that addicting one with his teeth and dimple that made the sun appear dim. “Mina, I don’t think you could be boring if you tried. If anything I was the one boring you.” She bit her bottom lip, gazing up at him through her lashes, trying to memorize every shade of grey in his eyes. “So next week, your birthday...” 

“Well,” She began, stepping away as flirtatiously as she could manage given the wreck she was, “boring date number three is on you, and you’d better make it fun if it’s for my birthday.” 

His lips quirked a little when Mina ran into someone on the sidewalk in her poor attempt to look cool walking backward in her departure. “That’s a contradiction, don’t you think?” 

“Says the guy going to work on a Saturday.” She giggled when he rolled his eyes in defeat, shoving his hands into his pockets. “That seems to work for us.” She called out, blowing a kiss before she spun on her heel a bit more gracefully and walked away with her heart pounding in her chest. 

She was too tired, too ready to fall into her bed and dream of him to remember that she never did give him her number, or get his. 

* * *

“I look forward to doing business with you Mr. Amano, and congratulations again on the baby girl.” 

“Thank you. You’re a man of little time Mr. Zoltan, I appreciate your flexibility on the matter.” 

“Of course.” Khai bowed at the webcam out of respect. “I will have the final terms and agreements over to you shortly to review and sign at your convenience.” With that, he closed out the video conference, raking a hand down his face as he fell back against his fine leather office chair with an exasperated- “Fuck…” 

For a moment he simply stared at the ceiling and absorbed the peaceful silence around him in reflection. Mr. Amano was the business prospect that left him high and dry at dinner the night before, a no-show to the appointment on account that his wife had gone into labor. Khai couldn’t even be mad at the alibi when the middle-aged man popped up on the video chat holding his pink bundle of joy to proudly introduce him to his new daughter. Hell, he almost thanked the man because had Mr. Amano actually shown up for the meeting he never would have met Mina.

Khai had the final documents ready to go because of course he did, this was a huge deal and he was him so yeah, he was prepared. The documents were sent with the click of a button and he groaned tiredly, leaning forward on the desk with his fingers buried in his hair with the realization that he had no means of contacting her. That he literally ran out on the best night, the best morning he could recall ever having, only to spend ten minutes on the phone with a middle-aged, balding man and his newborn daughter, who he strongly resembled, for a business deal he could have easily booked on Monday. To add insult to injury, a pinging sound on his computer sounded to alert him that the documents had come back completed. 

The deal was sealed and he had nothing to show for it but a bigger bottom line except he was wondering if maybe getting that gorgeous girl’s number wouldn’t have been more important. Khai groaned again, and immediately opened a web browser. 

The thought of social media was abhorrent to him, but everyone had a Facebook now right? He could just create a profile long enough to reach out, and then delete it once he could solidify plans for her birthday and get her damn number. So after a few minutes, he was scrolling through names under ‘Aino Minako,’ his frown deepening with each wrong profile picture he passed, sure that someone like her might have a strong following being beautiful as she was, and an Instagram model to boot. So he growled to himself, and pulled up that cursed website in another tab and set up yet another profile he’d never use. 

It was getting dark by the time he’d filled his web browser with her name and once again, had nothing to show for it. Khai was hungry, tired, defeated, and offended on many levels by the intrusive ads on these sites alone when he slammed his laptop shut and began gathering his things. His head spinning with about a hundred faces when he could clearly only see hers in his mind without ever finding it. Figures that she was intelligent enough to use a code name to protect her identity when she was modeling certain brands and sharing her beauty with the world online. 

So he got into another cab alone, returning to his empty hotel room where remnants of the previous night made themselves subtly known with the broken lamp on the vanity where he fucked her, one of her pearl earrings discovered by housekeeping left on the surface. Khai frowned and plopped on the bed by the phone to order room service causing her perfume to waft up from the sheets, and somehow it prompted him to order a summer salad that was out of season, but it had strawberries. 

The next week was tense, and Khai was less than pleasant, feeling like he had a deadline to meet without the tools to meet it. Maybe it was presumptive of him to use his connections, buy tickets to a concert he would never be caught dead buying, but if he did manage to reconnect with her as promised, he would not show up empty handed for her birthday. That was only if he managed to find her before then, which was the source of his frustration. He was running out of time.

He’d never been one to let a woman get under his skin before, but no one he’d ever met could smile with such seduction and be playful all at once. No one’s wit seemed to compliment his own as hers did, and no matter how mundane the conversation got, she never ceased to pique his interest. The fact that she was just as beautiful as she was charming did nothing to keep his mind from wandering. Khai craved her taste, her lips, her body, her breath as she moaned, dragging her bottom lip against his skin. He found himself distracted by all of the perfection of her from her hair like golden wheat, to her eyes like midsummer skies, down to the dimples of Venus that adorned her lower back, each curve and muscle he’d relished and ravaged until they both combusted from the intensity of it.

In comparison to his rather ordinary life, she knew hardship and adventure, and Khai had almost envied how she was her own person completely. Unlike him who went to an Ivy League school in the U.S. only to take over his father’s company when he passed away, such a straight path that he tried to shake up a little when he made the firm international only to find himself working even harder. Her free-spirited nature had breathed life into him that he hadn’t ever felt before, unlike the girls he’d dated in the past who tried to be a carbon copy of him, so proper and as boring as he was, where Mina wore her desires, all of her passion and chaos on her sleeve without shame. 

It was why when the twenty-fifth rolled around, her birthday passed, with no sightings of her in the city no matter how hard he looked, Khai grew downright cantankerous. He was short with his friends, withdrawn, and more focused than ever with work. Business didn’t stop despite the construction all around him in his new building, which created such noise that as an employer caused him to be more strict than usual, and he prided himself on being a pretty laid back CEO despite his stoic demeanor. 

It was a Friday, and he was sitting in a crowded boardroom full of executives who were trying to wow him with a presentation on some future prospects that he wasn’t paying a lick of attention to. Well, Khai paid attention long enough to know that they were blowing steam at him and he was less than impressed by their sorry attempts to focus on a market that did not suit their usual profiling. In fact, he was staring blankly at the table in front of him replaying that night over in his head, frowning at the fact that his memories would do her no justice regardless of how badly he missed that sweet scent of oranges and honeysuckle. 

The boardroom was drafty, a product of the building being under construction, and his thoughts immediately went sideways as soon as he slipped his hands into the pockets of his suit jacket. His fingers becoming entwined with something stringy that he discreetly glanced down at, before quickly shoving it back into the pocket to quickly conceal it with the hope that no one else saw. 

The image of her sliding her underwear down her thighs from under that short blue dress became so vivid, the way her blue eyes bore into his as she stuffed them in that very suit jacket and propositioned him to get a cab with that seductive husk to her voice caused his heartbeat to thunder in his ears. The memory of how he felt watching her walk away without the promise of unraveling the mystery of the blonde siren that sat at his table that made him desperate to know more than how her cherry lip balm tasted. And he missed the way she tasted...

“Mr. Zoltan?” 

“Hm?” Khai shifted uneasily in his chair and cleared his throat, raising his eyes to address the room, clenching the bright red lacy thong in his pocket. He’d been doing this long enough now that regardless of what was being said he knew just how to respond. Especially when he was less than impressed with the prospect. “I think this requires further review. If we’re going to entertain offering this solution to a client of this size we’ll have to reassess the risks involved with their financial institution of operation. We’ll have to move quickly so I’ll need you to send me a copy of this presentation so I can have an analyst assigned for further review.” 

“Yes, sir.” The sales manager clearly wasn’t pleased, but if Khai knew anything, it was his job. Somehow this made the sting of forgetting to ask for her phone number far more irritating, and he frowned while the meeting adjourned, leaving his body mildly agitated and his mind reeling with memories of a woman he may never see again. A memento, and a reminder of that night of kisses flavored by strawberries and champagne, pancakes and mundane conversation he’d never forget.

That weekend, he moved into his apartment, just a block from his best friend in a similarly nice apartment complex in  Azabu-Jūban with the help of his friends. He’d kept his mouth shut when confronted with their accusations of his less than friendly or social behavior, his pride preventing him from admitting that he was haunted by a night, and a woman he had all but given up searching for. It was for the best, after all, he had a business to run and a life to live, right? 

It wasn’t terribly hard with all of the construction going on in preparation to open the new branch location for his offices that Khai intended to make the hub of his company instead of the older office in New York. He was almost grateful for the distraction of staying busier than ever with business as usual on top of prospects in the new market. But it didn’t stop him from searching the crowds for her head of blonde hair, or listening for her laugh when he’d go on a coffee run or one of Zaki’s many outings to help him furnish Khai’s new apartment. It didn’t stop him from observing people he jogged passed in the morning with suppressed hope to find her bright blue eyes. 

Sooner than he ever thought, the wind became colder, and Autumn gave way to Winter, coating the streets in snow and ice, colored lights illuminating the city with cheery holiday decor and an abundance of commercialism. They were weeks away from the ribbon cutting on the office, just on the other side of the New Year to allow his employees to enjoy the Christmas season. It wasn’t really his thing, but Nigel was insistent on creating new traditions being that it was his first year in Japan and the first year they were all together for the season. Not to mention Mamoru was a nervous wreck having announced his intentions to marry his long time girlfriend. 

Usagi was wonderful all around. The sweetest girl he’d ever met in his life, and absolutely perfect for his nerve stricken friend. Mamoru grew up in the foster system, a string of orphanages and homes, a lonely kid without much to his name until he received his inheritance from his long departed parents and started dating his childhood nemesis early on in his senior year of High School. But she was one of those people you couldn’t help but love, and want to protect like she was your little sister. Hell, if she was that important to Mamoru, Khai had no problem doing anything in his power to see them happy. 

He met Mamoru at Harvard, along with a few other guys who shared a house just off of campus. They clicked, they became family, and they all converged on Tokyo for its opportunity and culture, so they could stay together. Imagine the jeweler’s expression when five big, hulking men walked into  Jewelry OSA-P, a shop owned by Usagi’s best friend, to pick out an engagement ring. It was a noisy affair that took nearly an afternoon because while Khai’s taste was a little ostentatious, Nigel went for simple, and Zaki went for couture, while Jeison wanted something traditional, and they were all extremely vocal individuals. Khai thought about that poor saleswoman often, trying to cater to five men who knew nothing about buying engagement rings for a woman they weren’t going to marry. But a ring was purchased because Mamoru knew Usagi, and it was perfect. 

“Hey, you’re coming tomorrow night, right?” 

Khai looked up from staring at the dark screen on his phone, head rested in his palm as if he expected the thing to ring. He’d barely heard his friend sitting just beside him at the bar that was noisy with parody Christmas music and rowdy businessmen excited for a long weekend. His grey eyes shifted lazily toward Mamoru, answering with a barely convincing: “Of course. You know I wouldn’t miss it.” 

Rolling his eyes, Mamoru took a drink of his gin and tonic, shifting just slightly in his stool to face him better. “Usa is really excited. It’s the first Christmas all of our friends can get together and finally meet. I’d really like my best friend to be present regardless of how cheesy he thinks a Christmas Eve proposal is. I wanted to surprise her.” 

“I told you I wouldn’t miss it. I mean it.” 

“I know you do, but you haven’t been right for weeks. You didn’t even argue when Nigel wanted to meet at this tacky little dive bar.” Mamoru’s brow lifted, as did the corner of his lips when he wasn’t dignified with any answer other than Khai polishing off the other half of his bourbon in one go, placing the empty glass back on the sticky oak bar.

“He likes it here. I told him it’s my Christmas gift to him.” He replied flatly, flagging the bartender for a refill. 

“How generous of you. So before the rest of the idiots show up, are you going to tell me what happened, or do I have to torture it out of you?”

“Do your worst.” 

“I’m a heart surgeon. I’m pretty handy with a scalpel you know.” 

“I’ve been busy.”

“Yeah, me too. And you’re always busy.” Mamoru fixed his blue eyes on him with a stubborn glare. There were few in existence that could make Khai talk with merely a look. Nothing forceful, but just as powerful and unwavering as his own icy stares, only warmer and likened to something more like a caring death threat. 

Khai rolled his eyes, taking a glance around him at the twinkling lights and loud colors to make sure none of the other guys had shown up lest they hear his confession. “I met someone.” 

“That’s great news though! Why are you the only human being on the planet that turns into a brooding, mopey asshat when something good happens to you?” 

“We met really suddenly is all, we….” Khai trailed off and tried to think of a dignified way of describing what happened that night, pausing to thank the bartender for the fresh bourbon placed in front of him, regretting the immediate drink he took as soon as Mamoru opened his mouth. 

“Oh god, did you have a one night stand and catch feelings? YOU!?” 

“Shut up, it’s different…” He bit like a naive teenage girl.

“Praytell, how it was different?” 

Khai raked a hand down his face and glared at the heart surgeon, washing his disdain down with another drink. “How did it feel meeting Usagi for the first time?” 

“Awful. She threw her test at me, I bullied her, and I continued to bully her until we graduated and I realized I didn’t want to ever stop.” Mamoru grinned his charming, dimpled grin, blue eyes twinkling like the love struck idiot he was. “In all seriousness, we started dating early Senior year and just never stopped. She’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me. She was hardly some random girl I picked up at a bar. We have history.” 

“We had dinner together. That deal I practically moved here for?” 

“The one that flaked… Like two months ago!?” Mamoru frowned a moment and shook his head. “I don’t see how this relates, I thought that deal worked out.” 

“It did. But let me explain before Jeison shows up or I’ll never tell you.” His friend raised his hands in defeat, making that mocking motion that looked like he zipped his mouth shut. Khai sighed, but continued against his better judgment. “I was waiting for my client and she just sat at my table, simple as that. I figured they weren’t going to show up since they were already over an hour late, and she was gorgeous. Like what other beautiful people wish they were kind of gorgeous. I wasn’t expecting, it so I just went with it.” 

“Khai, I’ve never known you as someone who just ‘goes with it.” Khai glared and Mamoru’s jaw set, urging him to keep explaining. “So, you had sex with a complete stranger.” 

“If you want me to be blunt about it, yes.” He shifted his eyes again and leaned against the bar, ignoring Mamoru’s slightly judgmental stare for the moment. “It was weird, like I knew her or something. She was witty and really smart, in an unconventional way I’ll admit, but she knew how to push my buttons. You know I’m not-” 

“Okay yeah, you’re about as easy as chipping through a thirty foot wall with an ice pick but you can’t say that you’re a stranger to one night stands.” 

“I’m not Nigel, pre-Makoto, Mamoru I am at least selective. But when it was over, I asked her to stay.” It was Mamoru’s turn to nearly spit out his drink, motioning for him to continue. “We talked all night, and all morning, barely slept at all. Then we had breakfast together and it was just natural.” Khai groaned and plopped his forehead on his folded hands to save him from direct contact with the sticky bar, Mamoru left watching with awestruck eyes. “I was supposed to reconnect with her for her birthday the week after. My priorities are so out of whack. I was so distracted by that business proposal popping up again last minute that I didn’t get her number.” 

“You do work _ way _ too much.” Mamoru scolded, his blue eyes softening at Khai’s very rare but rarely shown display of torment. “Did you get a name? You know social media is a thing right? You could just look her up and shoot her a message.” 

“I tried that. I created a few accounts on the more common ones and nothing. She must have a screen name which makes sense since she does some Instagram modeling and probably wants to keep her real identity anonymous.” 

“Smart. Well what’s her name? Usako has a friend that has a pretty good social media following, I’m sure we can figure it out…” 

“I appreciate it Mamoru but Tokyo is a big city. Besides, I’m not hard to find in my industry, if she wanted to find me she could.” He sighed, defeated at Mamoru’s frown. “She’s hardly the kind of girl you’d hang around…er-” 

“What’s up assholes!” Nigel butted in between them, calling out for a beer and draping his arms around Khai and Mamoru’s shoulders. 

“Ugh, you smell like ass.” Khai groaned and pushed the towering man’s arm off of his shoulder with a hardened glare. “Do you ever shower?” 

“Uh, some of us work hard for a living sir. We don’t sit in fancy offices staring at our phones like some sixteen-year-old waiting by the phone for our crushes to call us.” He barked a laugh at Khai’s glare and took a big swig out of the beer that the bartender automatically placed on the counter. “Yeah, we’ve noticed.” 

“You try running three international investment firms and tell me I don’t work hard.” Khai mumbled into his bourbon, ignoring the barrage of noise that followed when Jeison and Zak both joined them for a guy’s night out to celebrate the holiday. He loved his friends all the same, but Mamoru shared a sympathetic look with him. Khai could only shrug slightly and lift his bourbon to his lips, grey eyes automatically flickering to the still dark screen of his phone before he hid it in his pocket. 

* * *

“Earth to Mina!” Rei bit sternly, slapping an impatient hand on the table. She tore her eyes from the website of a rather specific international brokerage firm on her phone and slid it into the pocket of her pea coat. “I swear you’ve been worse than Usagi in the space department for weeks now. What is going on?” 

“I’m not THAT spacey Rei,” Usagi pouted, and the two exchanged a look before fixing their attention back onto her. Usagi continued, and began very unsubtly winking. “Besides, she doesn’t have to tell us if she doesn’t want to. But she should text me later if she wants to talk about it.” 

“I’m fine, really.” Mina waved her hands and forced what looked like an easy smile to prevent any sort of bickering, but Rei rolled her eyes because Mina said the same thing every time they asked if she was okay. “I’m just tired, and Christmas isn’t exactly an easy time of year.” 

It was true. She and Makoto used to spend the holidays together before she met Nigel and he’d filled her friend’s world with such happiness that she couldn’t help but be a little jealous. Mina couldn’t stand the thought of being the third wheel to intimate Christmas celebrations, though the food was no doubt incredible it wasn’t worth that awkward, imposing feeling. Neither of them really had families, so they used to cling to each other this time of year, and while the invitation still stood, she always declined. The others simply kept talking while she rested her chin on the table, watching the bubbles in her cream soda drift upward. “I can still hear you guys you know.” 

“Don’t blame us for being concerned, you’re normally all over the place. You didn’t even want to go out for your birthday and that was two months ago. Seriously, what gives? You know you can talk to us, Mina.” Rei poked lovingly at her, and all Mina did was lift her eyes slowly to address her. 

“Well, what do you say we hit the town tonight? There’s a new bar downtown and likely a lot of cute guys!” Makoto offered cheerfully between waiting tables in her festively decorated little cafe. 

“Says the girl dating Mamoru’s hot friend.” Mina muttered ruefully and sighed defeatedly at her even more chipper response. 

“Doesn’t mean I’m not a great wing woman!” 

“I’m fine! Really!” Mina sat up, and while her shifting moods weren’t always entirely unexpected her feigned excitement didn’t go unnoticed by at least Rei. “Anyway, Usagi is going to throw a killer Christmas party at Mamoru’s tomorrow. It’ll be so much fun!” 

“You’re really coming!?” Usagi’s eyes positively glittered when she piped in. As if Mina could say no. They all knew Mamoru was planning his grand proposal the first night all of their friends would be getting together under one roof, and she wouldn’t miss it for the universe. He’d apparently had a really rough childhood, and while Christmas proposals were often looked at as tacky, Mina understood that for him Usagi was all of the holidays he had ever been deprived of as a child. Christmas morning, was every morning, and the occasion was perfect. 

“Of course I’m coming Usa, I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” Her smile was genuine and she reached to squeeze her best friend’s hand. 

“No being a wet blanket at the party!” Makoto called out from across the cafe, “I'm baking my cherry tarts just to cheer you up!” 

“Yeah, call and vent if you need to, we’ve got you but you’d better not spoil the party.” Rei chimed in, bopping Mina playfully on the nose with a finger and a well meant smirk. 

“Guys, come on, who isn’t tired? If she wants to talk she’ll talk. Mina’s the life of the party, she just needs a good night’s sleep.” Ami piped in, cupping her mug of tea and shooting icy daggers at anyone who decided to prod Mina further. Which she couldn’t have been more grateful for. “Speaking of, I need to head to the bookstore for some last minute gifts before class.” 

All of them groaned, herself included, and Ami glared at the lot of them. Mina pulled her phone from her pocket, and the website she’d left open on her browser peered back up at her. “Hey Ames, mind if I come along?” 

They all stared at her, blinking as though she’d sprouted a second head. “What?” 

“Of course you can come.” Ami beamed excitedly, ignoring the other shocked expressions entirely while Mina stood to make her exit as soon as possible.

“I just want to check the latest manga selection is all.” She excused, practically pushing Ami towards the door before she’d scarcely shrugged into her coat. 

Mina shuffled behind a little, burrowing into her coat and scarf while her blue haired friend treaded forward without so much as a shiver. Snow fell in elegant dustings over the sidewalks which were crowded with bundled up people lugging shopping bags and various lights and decor. Shop windows looked warm and inviting no matter the variation of holiday music that drifted from their doors, and Mina realized she didn’t actually *talk* to Ami much. She knew that her parents were divorced and that she was not only the smartest human being on the planet, but probably as competitive as she was, being a really great swimmer and a prodigy at chess as well. 

“Hey, thanks for saving me from the sharks back there.” 

Ami turned on her heel to smile over her shoulder. “What are friends for?” 

Warmed by the notion, Mina linked her arm with Ami as they walked and it wasn’t long before they approached a crowded little offbeat bookshop. Mina was alone in a sea of people without much warning as her friend practically swam through the throngs toward the more advanced volumes toward the back of the store. Feeling a little lost, she bit her lip and began wondering if she shouldn’t just leave when a very upbeat guy close to her age wearing an elf hat and ears approached her from the side. 

“Can I help you miss?” 

“Um, I was actually wondering if maybe you had a book called ‘The Art of War’?” 

The guy’s expression shifted, and he looked at her like she was an idiot, something she’d come to expect in the land of intellectual reading, but he didn’t have to look so smug about it. “Of course we do, it’s a pretty important installment of-” 

“Yeah okay, lead the way Elf Boy.” She bit unamusedly and followed him despite his ‘the customer is always right’ sigh when he rolled his eyes. With some irony, there were only two copies left, one being a really fancy looking leatherbound edition, so Mina picked up both copies and hugged them to her chest like they were precious. She felt a lot better already, giving the shop worker a beaming smile and thanked him before pushing her way through the crowd of last minute shoppers to search for Ami. 

One new volume of a trashy manga and the newest edition of Cosmo later, she found her friend rambling at one of the other employees with his arms overloaded with heavy volumes of some rather advanced texts Mina could only hope were reserved more for her academic friends than their usual crowd. At least this section of the store was a lot less packed with people. 

“Hey Mina! I thought I lost you! They’re having a sale and I think I have my shopping done for the year now.” Ami beamed happily, for as brilliant as she was she often forgot the rest of them were simpletons that barely understood half of her vocabulary let alone her desired reading. The poor shop employee shot Mina a pleading look when Ami added another heavy volume to his arms. 

Hugging her loot to her chest, Mina smiled back genuinely with a nervous laugh. “That’s great Ames! Can I uh… help?” 

“That would be-” Ami turned and paused at the small stack of books in Mina’s arms, flushing when she inspected further beyond her Cosmo, and met her eyes with polite hesitation. “Is that ‘The Art of War’?” 

“Mm hmm?” 

“You know you’re holding two copies right?” 

“One is um… a gift.” Mina felt her cheeks grow hotter if that were possible, “Er...I hope it will be anyway.” 

“It suits you.” Ami’s eyes grew kind and the struggling employee followed them toward the counter to pay which was a whole other affair of packing her heavy loot into a few shopping bags.

“You think so?” Mina asked when they hit the street again, towing two of her friend’s heavy cloth bags along with her own plastic shopping bag containing her much smaller purchase. 

“Not that you’re combative, but I mean you are very competitive, and you see things through, win or lose. You’re more strategic about everything than you know.” There was a beat of silence before she turned her knowing eyes to address her somewhat carefully. “I’m guessing this might have something to do with why you’ve been so quiet?” She didn’t press, but when Mina remained quiet, her fingers visibly tensing on the bags in her hands and kept her blue eyes fixed forward, Ami smiled. “Want to tell me about it over some hot chocolate?”

“Don’t you have class? And we just left Mako’s…” She frowned at the friendly laughter directed at her, a little uneasy talking about things like an incredible one night stand and a man she hadn’t stopped thinking about for a moment since they parted with Ami of all people who turned beet red at the mention of her tamest escapades. 

“I already submitted my assignments weeks ago. And the quiz is only for those who either missed the pretest or scored below where they wanted to. The professor will take the higher of the scores.” 

“And you scored perfect on the pretest so there’s no point in you taking this one…” Mina assumed, and Ami confirmed with an innocent shrug. “So you’re just going to skip class then?” 

“For you, yes.” 

“This is your way of guilting me into telling you, isn’t it?” 

“Yes. But only because you haven’t been yourself, and we’re worried. You’ve done a lot of strange things to get a man’s attention, but you’ve never been the kind to keep secrets, not from us.” 

“Okay.” She conceded and winced inwardly. “But you’re not going to like it, and you’re not allowed to judge.” 

An hour later they were both nestled into a small cafe cupping hot chocolate and after a rather graphic retelling of her encounter with Khai Zoltan, not that she offered his name, Ami’s face was so red Mina thought she might start sweating blood, or suffer a nosebleed, so she kept napkins on hand. However, sufficiently red as she was, her expression was not judgemental, but sympathetic. 

“So he’s older, good looking, very successful,” Ami paused to swallow and take a sip of her cocoa before speaking a little quieter, “He has a big...er.. He’s good at- that, and has an intense taste in books. He sounds overall-” 

“Intense all around, and -” Mina groaned defeatedly and her head fell hard against the table between them. “Way out of my league! He’s ALMOST perfect, who am I kidding? Like, yeah we didn’t exchange numbers, and he’s a workaholic, and not on ANY social media, but the chemistry was like nothing I’ve ever felt, and we had breakfast and it was a little awkward but…“ 

“Did he give you the impression that he wants to see you again?” 

“Maybe? I mean he was different, and I know it’s easy for me to say, right? It’s what all the girls say when they’re dumb enough to believe it.” She lifted her head and gave Ami a pleading look, “He’s got his shit together you know?” 

“I’m not asking to be rude, but did you even catch his name?” 

“Yeah,” Mina nodded, pulling out her phone to be greeted by the website for his company, the reason she’d bookmarked it peering straight back at her. The portrait of brokerage firm’s CEO staring right back at her with his steely pale eyes and indifferent but professional demeanor, all pale silver hair, tanned skin and dark blue suit. “I do know where he works, but even that took some investigative work to find. I guess I’m just too big of a coward to try and run into him..” 

“Normally, you would have stormed his place of employment by now wearing a sequined dress pretending to be some starlet in need of his services. It’s not like you to seem so unsure of yourself, you’re shameless, fearless.... You must really like this guy, or he’s no good for making you doubt yourself like this.” 

“I barely know him, but oddly I feel like I know him better than I knew any of the guys I dated before him, if that makes any sense. He’s from Turkey and likes spicy food, bourbon and black coffee. His dad passed away during his first year of college and his mother is retired to Dubai with her new husband. Normally he’d spend Christmas there but he said he doesn’t get along with his Step-Dad. He has friends here to keep him company while he’s busy setting up a new branch for his firm in Tokyo. He’s boring, and serious as hell, but absolutely mysterious and exciting! He told me if I read this book, I’d know him a lot better, which is a weird thing to say-” 

“I don’t think so. It says a lot about a person and the way they address certain parts of their lives. Work, relationships, competition… I think you should read it.” Ami smiled and finished her hot chocolate, placing the peppermint stick in her mouth with a wink. “I think you’ll find a lot about yourself too.” 

“Yeah well, he’s way out of my league anyway Ames. What does a girl like me have to offer an older, successful, insanely gorgeous, intellectual and well put together guy like that? I’m a mess!” Dramatically, Mina buried her face in her folded arms on the table. “I guess I asked for this when I assumed he was my blind date that night, which spoiler alert, he wasn’t!” 

“You’re yelling too, you know.” Ami hushed quietly, still somehow retaining all of the blood in her body in her face while her wide blue eyes darted around them. Mina peeked up over her arms toward her friend who’s knowing gaze locked onto hers, lips pursed in understanding. “Read the book, and maybe you’ll find that you compliment each other more than you think. It’s a pretty dry read, so if this guy says you’ll know him better by reading it, and you can’t stomach it, then perhaps it’s best that you lost touch. Nothing lost, nothing gained.” 

“Wow, that’s really helpful actually. I should come to you for dating advice more often!” 

“Er… please don’t.” Ami laughed nervously and waved her hands in defeat like two white flags. “I mean I’m happy to try but, I’m not exactly an expert when it comes to dating. Maybe if there is a book involved? Otherwise I’m better left as a sympathetic ear.” 

Mina hopped up from her seat regardless and threw her arms around Ami tight. “Thank you for skipping class for me.” 

“Merry Christmas Mina.” Ami returned the embrace slowly, releasing only with a light squeeze, her smile turning to confusion when she started packing up. “Are you leaving so soon?” 

“I need an extra large coffee, and some cookies if I’m going to make it through this book tonight.” 

“I- I don’t think you need to rush Mina-” 

“Of  _ course _ I need to read it all tonight! There’s no time to waste, the year is almost over and I’m gonna need a date for New Years!” 

After a quick run into the nearest convenience store where she stocked up on cans of coffee and all variations of junk food that might have put a normal person into a sugar induced coma, Mina threw off her coat and settled in for a night of reading. She’d changed into her favorite oversized sweater and some thick wool thigh highs she found to be warm, sexy, and comfortable, settling into her equally oversized bed with a hot beverage and plenty of snacks to keep her company. Artemis hopped up on the bed and snuggled in close also when she chose to embark on this literary journey of seemingly very straight forward and aged military proverbs. 

The reading was dry for certain. Mina was yawning after the first chapter and reached for the first can of coffee, determined to power through. It made her think though, and as the short sections went by quickly, the more she was able to relate to some of the proverbs and literal battle tactics.They began to make sense to her, and even helped in some ways that allowed her to compare them to strategies in volleyball and her dance classes, even more so when it came down to her struggling ventures to become an idol and all of the competition that came with it. But it didn’t matter where these words touched her life, they all reminded her of Khai. As he told her she would, Mina began to understand him.

This was the book that probably got him through school, through his father’s death, and helped him grow his financial empire. It reminded her of his very stiff and harsh remarks about the client that stood him up that night and Mina wondered if he used some of the same ideals when it came to love. Yes, this book was like Khai in every way. Dry, serious, but methodical, relatable and logical as hell. Before she knew it, she reached the last page unable to stop wondering if there was an aspect of his life that Khai didn’t relate back to this book. Not that she knew him well, but he didn’t seem to be combative, but everything he did down to choosing his tie for the day was done with some kind of purpose. 

Sure, there was a lot of it that didn’t relate to her life at all, and quite a bit of it that she didn’t understand. Likely, she’d never read it again herself but regardless, there were certain things she’d earmarked with the hope that maybe someday she could ask Khai to explain. A great sigh deflated her lungs, and she blinked her dry eyes toward the clock to blanch briefly at the very bright red numbers reading a very early hour of the morning. 

A bathroom break and good stretch later, Mina nestled under her covers hugging a pillow to her chest while Artemis re-adjusted and snuggled warm against her back. If reading that stupid book did anything at all, it made her miss him and she pulled out her phone, once more tempted just to dial that phone number jut below his portrait as though he’d be at his office at 3 AM on Christmas Eve. Frowning, she set the phone on her nightstand and promised herself to dial that number once she got a few hours of sleep, and let the gentle purring of her small white cat lull her into dreams of strawberries and champagne.

“Are you serious right now? Get your ass out of bed lazy bones!” Rei was there ripping the covers off of her before Mina could fully recover from the dream she was having of finding his arms amidst the rage of some violent war like some scene from Gone With the Wind. Artemis hissed while Rei shooed him from the room, throwing open her closet doors so she could start throwing potential dresses at her. “We need your help setting up Mamoru’s apartment. You KNOW it has to be perfect for tonight and you’re the resident party expert. Red, green, gold, or classic black?” 

“Red.” Mina grumbled, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, the bright light of day stinging when she opened them. “Why’d you wake me up so early, the party doesn’t start till seven.” 

“It’s almost three you half-wit! I called you eighteen times before showing up!” Rei growled, tossing a sexy bright red mini dress on the bed. “Now get ready and I’ll go brew some coffee and make sure Artemis has food and water and whatnot. Remember, it’s supposed to be a costume!” 

“Thanks…. I think.” Mina blew up through her mussed bangs and briefly assessed the dress now sprawled across her thick, royal blue duvet she thought looked so sophisticated against her coppery colored silk sheets. It was an extra special night, so they all had agreed to go overboard on the costuming with Makoto as an Elf, albeit a giant one, and Ami as a snow queen which became an afterthought when she spied what Rei had chosen to wear. It sparked a snort when the haze of sleep lifted just enough for her to be a smart ass. “Hey, are you wearing a Santa dress!?” 

“Shower. Now!” 


End file.
